Monday 18 October 2021

Dow commercialises recyclable toothpaste tubes

Dow has announced the commercialisation of recyclable toothpaste tubes, making them available at store shelves around the world.

The new sustainable solution is expected to help reduce the number of toothpaste tubes being sent to landfill.

According to Dow, unrecyclable toothpaste tubes account for an estimated 100,000 tons of waste every year – roughly the weight of 10 Eiffel Towers.

As toothpaste is sensitive to oxygen and humidity, manufacturers traditionally use tubes made form a combination of different plastics as well as a layer of aluminium, “making the packaging nearly impossible to recycle”.

Dow's new packaging solution solves the issue by using high performance polyethylene-based technology and removes the aluminium layer.

https://twitter.com/DowNewsroom/status/1447957057219530752

The initiative supports the company's ambition to ensure 100% of what it sells into packaging applications must be reusable or recyclable by 2035.

Bambang Candra, Asia Pacific Commercial Vice President, Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics said: 'We are excited to make recyclable toothpaste tubes a reality for the oral hygiene industry by addressing the application challenges with Dow's materials science expertise.

“This new offering is part of a broader product portfolio of solutions that helps consumer brands reduce their environmental footprint and meet growing consumer demands for sustainability without compromising product performance.”